FUTURE TV LINEUP

By DAVE WHITNEY
I doubt if many of us who have reached our Golden Years had to worry too much about giving up our virginity to vote for any particular party but for one I am more than glad to see the long, long blitz of political television ads finally come to an end.

After a couple of years of wall-to-wall political ads - many of which simply became white noise in the background - that poured as much as $100 million a week into the coffers of television networks it’s time to take a look at what the future may look like on The Tube.

For sure, there is no way non-political advertisers can make up for the loss of revenue faced by those who produce television programs. “Right-sizing” will be the new norm for all networks – commercial and cable – as we enter into the late fall and winter television seasons. [READ FULL STORY...]

Nov 05, 2012

Sinking & Swimming

By DAVE WHITNEY
A decade ago I was a millionaire – on paper at least – and today I have to keep an eye on every dollar to get by from month to month. It has been an exercise in sinking and swimming, an ode to our time, a symphony of economic scales that occurs at least once in all lifetimes based on the history of our country.

I am one of those seniors who got caught in the real estate collapse and watched a whole lot of equity in a home and a couple of businesses evaporate and blow away in fistful of hurricanes helpless to do anything about it.

It was a big adventure; a life lived to the fullest in one of the most beautiful places in the world - the Florida Keys for a quarter of a century. I left with about what I started with and no regrets.
I’m just another statistic making up some of the bad news about The Great Recession, one of the seniors who have felt, or are beginning to feel the hammer falling on their real estate values and dreams of a grand retirement lifestyle. [MORE...]

November 1, 2012

TIME & TALENTS

By DAVE WHITNEY
As we age we definitely have a couple of secret weapons in our time and talents. While many of us have kept up with modern technology, we retain the Talent to write letters, something younger generations rarely, if ever, stoop from their high-tech platforms to do. And, we have the time to do it.
Last spring I stopped by my local Staples store and one of the clerks handed me a certificate offering a “PC Tune Up + For a just-like-new Computer.”
I bit! A Staples technician ran a diagnostic program on my PC laptop and said it would cost nearly $100 to complete the software tune-up. [MORE... ]

October 10, 2012

NAPPING WITHOUT GUILT

While napping on the job is widely considered unacceptable in the USA, many cultures (especially those in hot climates) serve their largest meals at midday, with an official allowance for a nap period (siesta) afterwards before returning to work. The ability to nod off for a while, wake up rejuvenated and ready to tackle the remainder of the day seems very civilized. Frank Kaiser initially resisted napping, but has discovered that napping is Cool. [ MORE]

3 SECONDS OF JOY!Have a hug! It only takes about three seconds on the average and the main benefit is simply joy. Several studies have been done by people studying human responses following the Beijing and most recently London Olympics where they learned that athletes have a tendency to hug each other following their events for -- on the average -- three seconds.] [MORE]..

Tennessee•Kentucky Mystery Tour
This week, Kileen Prather takes us on a Mystery Tour through Kentucky and Tennessee. Some people (let's call them Control Freaks) like to know where they are going, this might not be the type of tour for them. For others, the destination surprises just add to the fun. [MORE...]

OLDER WOMEN KNOW THEMSELVES - AND MEN - TOO WELL
Older women. Gotta love them. Unlike today's younger women, older women are kind, forgiving. And they know how to cook well. And rumor has it, they have an increase in libido that as a young man I could only dream about. Read Frank Kaiser's take on older women, and why we men are lucky to have them. [MORE]

WHAT'S NEXT?
Lawmakers gone wild? History shows, the age of Prohibition (1920- 1933) was a failure. Today liquor is more widely available than ever. Yet this has not stopped those sworn to protect us from evil. Smoking is banned in office buildings and public places. Fair enough, it does bother many people, myself included. Now Mayor Bloomberg has banned sodas larger than 16oz in New York City. Yes, sodas, that evil over-priced carbonated sugary water! "What's Next" to be banned, ask our resident pundit Dave Whitney. Hamburgers? [MORE]

WHEN DID YOU START TALKING TO YOURSELF?
Nowadays, it's common to see people walking down the street, apparently talking to themselves. Only when you get close do you realize they are having a phone conversation with some unseen person on their Bluetooth headset! In this week's classic Kaiser column, Frank muses on yet another sign of aging... Talking to yourself, without even realizing! [MORE]

WHAT... ME WORRY?
If you listen to TV news or read any newspaper, you are likely well aware that the USA has a huge national debt, numbers that make your own personal debt look like a pinprick. And that if we don't raise the "debt ceiling" the world as we know it will end. But what exactly IS the national debt? And who do we owe it to? Dave Whitney takes a stab at explaining it in language we can all understand. Be warned, it ain't pretty. [MORE]

READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL?
So, you're retiring, or retired. Are you going to disappear into that rocking chair? Or stand up and be counted? About 10 years ago Frank Kaiser wrote about Granny D, then 89, who went on a one-woman crusade for campaign finance reform. Thanks to our Supreme Court's misguided Citizens United decision allowing "big money" to flood our TV screens with ever more political ads, we are now further from Campaign Finance Reform and allowing "the People" to speak than ever. Granny D passed on at the age of 100. Are there some others out there ready to pick up the baton? [MORE]

HOW DO YOU COPE?
John Kaiser talks about some of the challenges he faces helping care for Frank and Carolyn Kaiser, and wonders how other caregivers manage.[MORE]

THE KAISER'S JOURNEY THROUGH CANCER
Frank and Carolyn Kaiser have been to hell and back, healthwise. But you can't keep a good man - or woman - down, as they say. They're very much alive and kicking - just kicking a little more slowly and carefully. [MORE]

"SOMEONE MUST BE FEARLESS about the foray into geezerhood. Thousands look to and trust Suddenly Senior.
"Other Websites pale in comparison to the real-life, intimate look into senior lives. What sets apart Suddenly Senior is its blistering honesty and its incomparable encouragement.
"Millions need guidance. The Kaisers provide the best home. With so much warmth and good humor, you bring us a mirror for all your fellow seniors, and it is indeed a fun house."
--Suzette Martinez Standring, Syndicated Columnist, Author of The Art of Column Writing. (Age 55 and proud of it!).

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